70.05 BF1721

Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata

(Borkhausen, 1794)

Wingspan c. 28 mm.

A species of damp woodland, occurring in fens, along canals and similar habitats. It is distributed locally in the south and south-east of England, and was first noted in the 1950s.

The main larval foodplant is orange balsam (Impatiens capensis), an introduced plant, and the larvae can be found in June and in August and September.

The adults fly in May and June, and as a second generation in July and August. The summer brood is generally darker in appearance, without the obvious white band.